


Like I Know My Own Mind

by ticklishblaine (lightsandsparks)



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 03:45:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5852746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightsandsparks/pseuds/ticklishblaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off a prompt from <a href="https://twitter.com/OTPQuestions/status/648948734122962944">OTP Questions</a> on Twitter - "Whose mother can tell they're in love with the other before they even realize it?" AKA Darren's mom knows everything. Do not question her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like I Know My Own Mind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovetheblazer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetheblazer/gifts).



> Dedicated to my lovely Sarah who's been having a tough time lately. Hope this makes you smile <3

There are a handful of people that know Darren just as well as, or perhaps better than he knows himself, and one of those people is certainly his mother.

It’s always been this way. It makes sense, really; she did give birth to him, after all. She carried him for nine months, felt every kick and squirm of his tiny growing body. She raised him, and spent almost every single day with him for at least the first 18 years of his life. They’ve always shared an extremely close bond; he’s opened up to his mother in ways that he’s never opened up to anyone else before. In fact, she was the first one Darren told when he thought he might like boys just as much as he likes girls. 

So _of course_ she knows him incredibly well. That much has never come as a surprise to Darren. She always knows he’s sick even when he’s pretty sure he’s doing a good job of hiding it and she always knows when he’s sad or stressed about something. She knows just what to say to calm his fears, or to encourage him when he needs it most.

So, when she comes into the kitchen during one of his brief weekend visits and asks how long he and Chris have been dating, Darren nearly chokes on his food.

“H-huh?” he coughs, sputtering and trying to swallow his bite of eggs without asphyxiating himself. “We’re not dating!”

Darren has only been on Glee for a little over six months, and his life has been a rollercoaster to say the least. Between the album promotions, photoshoots, interviews and the sudden widespread pseudo-fame he’s been experiencing, the only constant in his life has been Chris. They film together regularly and became fast friends the very first day they met. They’re very close at this point, but dating? No. For once, his mother has it all wrong.

She doesn’t seem to think so, though. With a roll of her eyes, she squeezes his shoulder and kisses his cheek. “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” she tells him before making her way out of the room, leaving one very baffled Darren behind.

—

Darren is left in a trance for the better part of the next few days he spends at home. The thought of dating Chris isn’t at all an unpleasant one. Quite the opposite, in fact. But for Chris and Darren to be dating, Chris would have to like him. And Darren would need to return those feelings, which he most certainly does not.

…Does he?

Even more confusing are the knowing looks his mother gives him every time he smiles at his phone or mentions Chris’s name in conversation. Additionally, when she drops him off at the airport for his flight back to LA, she whispers in his ear after they hug, “Say hello to Chris for me, okay?”

Darren doesn’t know what to make of her behavior. Perhaps she’s just joined the crowd of fans that think that he and Chris would make a cute couple. Hell, they _would_ make a cute couple, even though Darren knows he pales a bit in comparison to Chris and his multitude of accomplishments. Still, the sentiment is nice, and if there are people out there that really believe that Darren could be so lucky as to date Chris well, maybe he shouldn’t be so quick to correct them.

Still, coming from his own mother, the one person who supposedly knows him inside and out? It’s a little strange. Not in a bad way, really… but it’s almost like she knows something he doesn’t. 

He tries and fails to shake it off. 

—

The next time few times he sees his mother are a blur. She makes it to a Glee Live performance and even comes to the premier of their movie. He barely gets a chance to talk to her, but she’s still giving him those looks every once in a while.

And this time, Darren knows exactly why. He can’t deny it any longer because it’s true. It’s true and nobody else knows but he and Chris and now apparently his mother does too. He’s not sure how, but somehow she’s figured it out. He can’t hide a thing from his mom; she really does know everything.

But it’s too soon. He can’t say anything yet, not until he and Chris have talked at length about whatever is going on between them. For now they’re just having fun. They’re not even official yet, and he’s terrified that he’ll jinx it if he speaks the words out loud to anyone else.

It doesn’t matter either way, though. Because even if Darren was a good liar, his mother would never fall for it. 

—

“I’m nervous, Darren.”

“What, why? Don’t be. My family loves you, man!”

They’ve been “officially” together for almost thee months now and it’s time for Darren to bring Chris home and make the announcement to his family. Darren is buzzing with excitement, but Chris is shaking slightly. When Darren takes his hand however, he does smile. “I know. I guess I’m just being stupid.”

“No, you’re not.” Darren reaches over the center console of his car and kisses his boyfriend on the lips. “I get it. But you have nothing to be nervous about, okay? They’re gonna be ecstatic.”

— 

It turns out that Darren is right - about his brother and father, at least. He’s just announced that he and Chris are boyfriends over dinner and his mother’s response is surprisingly mellow. In fact, she barely reacts at all except for a tiny smile and nod of the head. It causes Darren’s stomach to twist in fear.

“Mama?” he tries. He knows his mother isn’t disapproving, not by a long shot. But there’s a reason for her sedated response and he wants to get to the bottom of it. “What do you think?

She turns to him and suddenly the warm, genuine smile is back on her face. “Oh, dear. I’ve known you were in love with Chris since the day you called me to tell me about him. You think I don’t know my little boy better than that?” Darren stays quiet because she was right - she was right all along. It just took him a little bit longer to realize it.

She gets up, making her way across the room to the both of them. “I was wondering when you would finally come around to your senses.” His mother surprises Darren yet again by going to hug Chris first. “Welcome, Chris. You’re a part of our family, now.” Darren’s eyes sting at the sentiment. 

Chris for his part, just seems relieved. “Thank you, Mrs. Criss. That really means a lot.”

His mother turns to Darren. She gathers him in his arms and he feels like his heart is going to burst. “Congratulations,” she whispers softly. “I love you very much.”

“I love you too, mom.”

Years later, Darren is slightly disappointed to find that he couldn’t even keep their engagement a secret from his mother for more than a 24 hours. But honestly, he isn’t surprised, and he certainly wouldn’t have it any other way.


End file.
